Commissioners hear updates on upcoming marathon events

Jeremy Long, founder of Daybreak Racing, said the Gorge Waterfalls, a trail run, started in 2011, and continue until 2017.

The race was suspended after the large wildfires damaged much of the area, making the trail unusable. In 2021, the U.S. Forest Service opened the trails up for use, allowing the racing outfit to apply for its special use permit for a 2022 event.

When Daybreak first hosted the race, they staged and started at Benson Park. But after the wildfires, Long said they wanted a new staging area for the start and finish. They worked with the Port of Cascade Locks and moved the event’s staging area to Marine Park, which has amenities and provided a great trail run setting.

In that year, the race had 500 runners participate in the 100K and 50K events, he said.

In 2023, Long said they added the 30K run. Nine hundred runners registered; however, 825 people participated in the 2023 race event.

Registration is open for the 2024 race, and Long said 837 runners have registered so far. Those registered come from 42 states and parts of Canada and are 45% female. The longer races attack runners in the 30 to 59-year-old range. The shorter races typically attract younger races.

The Gorge Waterfalls Run isn’t the only big running event in Cascade Locks. Breakaway Promotions brings the Bridge of the Gods Half-Marathon and 10K runs. Organizer Chad Sperry said the event has a 1,500-runner cap. This year’s event had about 1,389 participants.

Their August running event attracts runners from all over the country. Sperry said they have several runners from the south — places like Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. These runners are attracted to the climate and are looking for a break from the hot weather. Additionally, many runners are looking to run events in all 50 states.

As the event continues to attract runners from around the country, they would like to add more features beyond the runs. Sperry said they would like to focus on a more festival-like event. They are considering adding additional live music on Thunder Island and Twilight 5Ks.

As the Gorge Waterfalls Run and the Bridge of the Gods Half Marathon event grow, they have issues to work out and plan for.

Both events fill up hotels in the Gorge. Sperry said he reserves next year’s rooms for his staff right after the race. One year, he mistakenly announced race dates before he booked rooms for his team. When he was checking out, and asked to book for next year, he was told all the rooms were already booked.

During the event, Sperry said it was hard to find rooms in Hood River, Troutdale and the Dalles.

Gorge Waterfalls Run organizers share a similar sentiment when it comes to hotel rooms.

Both events encourage participants to camp since there are camping options available. Sperry said one thing they have considered is camping on Thunder Island.

Both event organizers consider parking and try to mitigate parking issues during their events. These plans includes looking at off-site parking with shuttles.